Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
MVintheheartland
Featured Actor Joined: 11/19/13
#50Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 10:40am
Andrew Rannells
Daveed Diggs
Joshua Henry
Okay, just dream casting now.
Broadway61004
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/14/11
#51Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 10:50am
ChairinMain said: "Five possible options here, ranked, I think, from most likely to least:
C. Show closes September 3rd, Oak graciously agrees to finish out his originally-contracted run despite being totally within his rights to take the money and run.
"
Is it really up to Oak though whether he continues past the 13th? Perhaps this is an innacurate assumption, but since they agreed to pay out his contract, I'm guessing they didn't go back and alter it, which means he's technically still contracted through September 3rd. So if the producers were to say "We want you through September 3rd", his options would be A) Stay in the show or B) Quit but then forfeit those 3 weeks of pay.
Now I'm guessing if he didn't want to stay the producers would let him out and still pay him, knowing the PR nightmare they would face if they didn't, but technically they would be 100% within their rights to say he now has to go on through the 3rd (again, unless they actually did alter the contract instead of just agreeing to pay it out).
#52Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 10:54am
10086Sundays said: "Someone on the Broadway Reddit version of this thread threw this out: "I hear whispers of Rainn Wilson after Oak." (He's from "The Office" for those like me that know the face, but not the name.)
Rainn Singing
"
Kinda unrelated, but Nick Offerman from Parks and Rec would be perfect
#53Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:11am
I like Rainn, but he doesn't scream box office savior to me?
#54Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:15am
haterobics said: "All I keep thinking is how everyone kept saying there was a great Hedwig planned for after Taye, and that if we could only keep it running, and... well, that never seemed to pan out.
Right??!! And it still makes me wonder.... did they or didn't they.... and who was it?? Lena??? Oh, if only they had put her up there... such a missed opportunity.
On TGC - I'm acutally surprised no-one has mentioned Darren Criss. He's a tad young, but with costume and fat suit it could work. He plays piano and if he doesn't play accordian I'm guessing he could learn it in a day - he's super talented on many instruments. Plus he can grow a mean beard... lol. Don't know if he could do justice to Dust to Ashes (haven't listened to it enough). But he's in town - and prolly available. And I think he'd rise to the challenge of overcoming all the negative chatter. PLUS he's a POC so that could satisfy everyone on the racial issue.
n.holden
Chorus Member Joined: 4/16/17
#55Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:16am
I'm loving the idea of Rainn Wilson or Weird Al as Pierre, because I'm huge fans of both of them. LMM seems like more of a Dolokhov to me, but it's probably too small of a part for his fame.
#56Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:17am
Rainn Wilson? WHO?
Oh my god, this is one of my favorite shows and I'm so desperately trying to give them the benefit of the doubt in this ****storm, but this would be the nail in the coffin. What a dumb idea, he will not sell tickets at ALL.
yeah
Featured Actor Joined: 10/2/08
#57Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:17am
It's gonna have to be a huge name, but also a POC. Otherwise, no dice.
Abbade
Swing Joined: 2/15/17
#58Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:20am
haterobics said: "I like Rainn, but he doesn't scream box office savior to me?
"
Don't know if those people would buy tickets but The Office is pretty popular. Like, he have 5 million twitter followers
froote
Broadway Star Joined: 2/14/17
#59Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:23am
No one cares if it's a POC or not now, people just want the show to be saved.
Rainn is more known than Ingrid Michaelson who kept the grosses up to $900k. Could work.
comets
Understudy Joined: 7/18/17
#60Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:24am
Brendon Urie will be free soon...
ebizzle
Stand-by Joined: 7/16/17
#61Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:25am
On TGC - I'm acutally surprised no-one has mentioned Darren Criss. He's a tad young, but with costume and fat suit it could work. He plays piano and if he doesn't play accordian I'm guessing he could learn it in a day - he's super talented on many instruments. Plus he can grow a mean beard... lol. Don't know if he could do justice to Dust to Ashes (haven't listened to it enough). But he's in town - and prolly available. And I think he'd rise to the challenge of overcoming all the negative chatter. PLUS he's a POC so that could satisfy everyone on the racial issue.
I'm pretty sure Darren Criss is white....and he'd play Anatole, not Pierre. Plus that wouldn't draw in large crowds. They need to cater to an older audience.
froote
Broadway Star Joined: 2/14/17
#62Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:26am
Darren Criss is half asian and he would certainly draw in crowds if Ingrid Michaelson did.
JustAnotherNewYorker
Broadway Star Joined: 12/20/16
comets
Understudy Joined: 7/18/17
#64Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:32am
If they can keep it open until October, O.J. Simpson will be out on parole.
#65Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:37am
froote said: "Darren Criss is half asian and he would certainly draw in crowds if Ingrid Michaelson did.
Yes - he is. Maybe he couldn't draw crowd for extended run but he would certainly pull in for long enough to find someone else. I'm not a huge fan of his, but I honestly could see it working - he's got great energy. Anatole yes - but not sure he could handle the vocals.
#66Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 11:40am
Abbade said: "haterobics said: "I like Rainn, but he doesn't scream box office savior to me?"
Don't know if those people would buy tickets but The Office is pretty popular. Like, he have 5 million twitter followers "
My thirty-one-year-old sister and her husband would buy tickets as soon as it's announced, and both of them absolutely despise Broadway and musicals. But The Office was their favorite show for years. Not sure how many people would do the same, though.
I, personally, would pay to see Dwight on a stage, and I don't even like the show that much.
#67Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 12:11pm
Leonardo DiCaprio as Anatole and Johnny Depp as Pierre.
George Clooney, Nicholas Cage, Jake Gyllenhal, Jamie Foxx, Tom Cruise....... All I did was good middle aged male actors and I got this huge list of people who imo would fit great into many of this shows roles.
#68Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 12:19pm
A Canadian in NYC said: "froote said: "Darren Criss is half asian and he would certainly draw in crowds if Ingrid Michaelson did.
Yes - he is. Maybe he couldn't draw crowd for extended run but he would certainly pull in for long enough to find someone else. I'm not a huge fan of his, but I honestly could see it working - he's got great energy. Anatole yes - but not sure he could handle the vocals.
Being half-Asian and having great energy have nothing to do with playing Pierre, but I agree he'd be good in the role.
Back Row
Leading Actor Joined: 4/14/12
#69Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 1:01pm
It seems to me that the casting possibilities for Anatole are much more likely to generate box office revenue. Justin Timberlake? Nick Jonas? Justin Bieber? What's Constantine Maroulis doing these days?
#70Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 1:06pm
Back Row said: "Justin Timberlake? Nick Jonas? Justin Bieber? What's Constantine Maroulis doing these days?"
Appearing on lists where he shouldn't be?
#71Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 1:32pm
Surely Maroulis was considered and possibly offered the role, as were Cerveris, Esparza and as many opine, Butz. Everyone has been shortlisted.
Criss is an Anatole. and the show doesn't really work with two Anatoles. Listen to the lyrics, the way the company sings about Pierre. Criss is the antithesis.
#72Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 1:47pm
Jamie Foxx is actually a fantastic suggestion. The score would work very well in his voice and he plays piano.
Speaking of piano, what's Harry Connick doing these days?
#73Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 2:04pm
Just to back up the Rainn Wilson rumor -- I noticed that both Rachel Chavkin and The Great Comet follow him on twitter...
Messytheatregirl
Chorus Member Joined: 6/8/17
#74Maybe, The Great Comet isn't closing in August 13
Posted: 7/31/17 at 2:13pm
I noticed that too... Rainn also follows Josh Groban on twitter so he could've been really inspired by the role of Pierre to hop on board the comet train.
Check out his tweet from July 3:
https://twitter.com/rainnwilson/status/882001778891399168
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